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About Richard Griggs, The Thingmaker

"The Thingmaker " by Julien Lasseur.

Born in Mount Vernon, NY, Richard Griggs graduated from Emerson College with a bachelor of science in theatre arts. After doing electrical, lighting and carpentry work for various productions in Hollywood, he returned to his ancestral roots in West Cornwall, CT, where he now works with the renowned kinetic sculptor, Tim Prentice. His works can be found in numerous private collections and galleries. For information on recent creations and possible commissions, he can be reached at: thingmkr@optonline.net or 860-672-6208.
His workshop is at 55 Lake Road, West Cornwall, CT 06796.

GRIGGS TO SHOW AT ART@THE DUMP

Although Richard Griggs would have described himself as a mechanic in his youth, art is in his genes. His great grandfather was James Henry Moser, a well-known Cornwall artist who, among other things, taught watercolors to first lady Caroline Harrison, wife of the 23rd president, Benjamin Harrison. Richard graduated from Emerson College with a degree in theater design and went on to work as a stage manager for dinner theaters in the northeast. That segued into electrical and carpentry jobs on the road with several rock groups including Foreigner and Rod Stewart. His last tour deposited him in Los Angeles where he found a job in television as a grip on such shows as “Alf”, “Roseanne” and “The Cosby Show”.

In 1993 he came to his family’s home in Cornwall after a bicycle accident left him with a broken back and pelvis. There he met his wife, Bianca and eventually got a job with architect/artist, Tim Prentice. He couldn’t resist repurposing the scraps from Tim’s work into unique sculptures. Once a week, he rehabs computers for a local PC company. This gives him more materials, such as hard drive discs, that beg to be used in his unique designs.

“I try to find a different purpose for the materials I use.” Says Griggs. “I like whimsy and movement. If it doesn’t move, I’m not interested.” He credits Tim Prentice, his boss for the past 15 years, as his inspiration.

Richard’s work can be found at Art@The Dump sometimes in April at the transfer station on Rte.4 in Cornwall. He has shown his work and co-chaired this event for 14 years. Art @ The Dump displays and sells artwork from recycled materials. Thirty percent of the proceeds go to fund extras for the art department of the Cornwall Consolidated School. The show runs from 10 – 4 on Saturday and 10 - 1 on Sunday. For further information, check out http://artatthedump.homestead.com.